Chief Joseph A. Ryan

Joseph A. Ryan is a 38-year law enforcement veteran and Wharton School alum whose career combines his passions for justice and education. Joseph Ryan was appointed Chief of the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division in February 2012.

Chief Ryan began his law enforcement career in 1978 as a patrolman with the Lower Merion Township Police Department in Montgomery County. After three years, he was assigned as a platoon investigator, responsible for the initial response to all crime scenes and case development. In 1985, Ryan was promoted to patrol sergeant for Lower Merion Township Police Department. During that time, he attended the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, graduating summa cum laude in 1987.

In September 1988, Ryan was hired as a detective with the Delaware County Criminal Investigation Division (CID), the investigative arm of the District Attorney's Office. For the next three years, he served as a detective in the Homicide, Child Abuse and Special Investigation Units. In 1991, he was assigned to the newly created Economic Crime Unit. Chief Ryan was instrumental in developing a co-op program with Villanova University for students interested in the fields of forensic accounting and corporate financing to gain valuable and substantial practical experience in the field.

In October 2008, Ryan was promoted to Lieutenant of the Economic Crime Unit, which expanded to include the Insurance Fraud Division and Gaming Unit.

Chief Ryan is an instructor in both the Municipal Police Officers' Education and Training Commission Act 120 and Act 180 classes. He is also an instructor for Temple University’s Institute on Protective Services. He formerly served as an adjunct professor at Widener University in the Criminal Justice Program. Additionally, Chief Ryan is a crisis negotiator with the Eastern Delaware County Emergency Response Team.

Chief Ryan is a Board of Director of the County Office of Services of the Aging (COSA) Protective Advisory Board and formerly a Board of Director of the Senior Victim Services of Delaware County. He is also a member of the following organizations: Delaware County Chiefs of Police; Southeast Chiefs of Police; Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police; National Chiefs of Police; International Chiefs of Police; Pennsylvania Homicide Investigators Association; County and State Detectives Association of Pennsylvania; International Association of Insurance Fraud Investigators.